Sanctuary (AH 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE HISTORY OF THE USS SANCTUARY AH-17, Sledge hammers pounded out the last keel block, Mrs. Aldo Andrus cracked the bottle of champagne on the steel bow, whistles blew in the hot Pennsylvania sun and the Navy's newest hospital ship, the USS SANCTUAFQY, slid down the ways and her keel tasted salt water for the first time on l5 August l944. She was started as a merchant ship, the SS MARINE OWL, but the Navy, looking forward to the anticipated casualties from the forthcoming invasion of Japan, Operation Olympic, ordered her converted into o hos- pital Ship. Her initial cost was 55,000,000 and this amount was raised in a series of war bond drives by the patriotic city of Hoboken, New Jersey. Launched at the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, and fitted out as a Navy hospital ship in the yard ofthe Todd Shipbuilding Company in Hoboken, New Jersey, the SANCTUARY lost little time ln putting to sea. She was commissioned at Hoboken on 20 June l945, Commander John M. Paulsson, USNR, commanding. Two months later she was at Pearl Harbor, but hostilities with Japan had ended during her transit. She was immediately ordered to Waleayama, Japan, to pick up liberated pris- oners of war. A channel was cut through the rnlneflelds and by l5 September l945, a total of l,l39 liberated Americans, English and Australian prisoners were squeezed aboard, the maiority having been captured at the fall of Singapore, Hong Kong or in the Battles ot' Java. As SANCTUARY stood out of Walcayama's harbor, she met the incoming Fifth Fleet Flagship, battleship NEW JERSEY, which flew the 4 star flag of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. NEW JERSEY was accompanied by destroyers, cruisers andaircraft carriers of the Fifth Fleet. When in signal distance, SANCTUARY signaled the flagship for Per- mission to proceed on duty assigned . Back came the signal, Affirm . Then, from the NEW JERSEY come the blast of the bugle. Each man of the mighty battleship snapped to the right hand salute. The men of SANC- TUARY, including all prisoners ableto stand, returned the honors. Then across the water from the NEW JERSEY came the roar of three rousing cheers. Then, down the line, as SANCTUARY steamed slowly by one after another of the escort ships, each one followed the example of the flagship, manned their rails and cheered. Alter a stormy passage that saw her buck 40 knot winds and heavy seas, SANCTUARY reached Naha, Okinawa, delivered her pa- tients to the Army and then sailed for Nagasaki, Japan. There, her crew witnessed first hand the devastation of the second atomic bomb dropped on Japan. SANCTUARY made further trips to Buckner Bay, Okinawa and Apra Harbor, Guam, bringing each time repatriated prisoners of war. She finally sailed back for the United States and was de- commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Ship- yard on l5 August I946. l

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